Limited Quarantine of Countries with Major Outbreaks

With the latest swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the greater number of sick and dead people having contracted this flu, you have to ask the question why countries do not quarantine when such a major scenario like the one we are witnessing happens.

It seems to me that when the World Health Organization (WHO) upgrades to a “public emergency of international concern”, it should be a cue for all countries to:

1. Extract all the citizens of their own country and quarantine them to see if any contracted the virus. Returning citizens from other countries needing to stop to change planes (i.e) should be isolated.  All should have a mask to limit possible infection.
2. Contact all citizens that have gone to this country in the last 15 days and advise them of the situation and direct them to hospital that can verify if they do have the virus or not. If so, administer whatever medication needed and do a track back of as many people as possible this person have been in contact with.
3. Do not allow your citizens to travel to that particular country until the situation is resolved.  In other words, ban all flights, bus’, trains, boats to enter the infected country.
4. Close your borders temporarily to any citizens of the infected country.

It is certain that this method is not a 100% virus proof but it sure limits possible spread of the virus worldwide. We shut down borders when it comes to possible infected food, why wouldn’t we with people?

Charging or Banning Single Use Plastic Bag – A Scam to it’s Finest

For about a year and half, my wife and I decided that we had enough of the use of plastic bags, although we did put them in the recycling bin or use them for other purposes. We started getting re-usable bags because we thought it would be indeed a nice personal move for the environment and because you could also pack things better in those types of bags compared to single use plastic bags. We haven’t completely eliminated single use bags but it currently rests at about 10% of our total bag use.

When we do our groceries, we do notice that more and more, people use these types of bags as well. How could you not? The population is flooded with advertising of all sorts to use these types of bags. However selling these bags have become profitable and a whole new industry has emerged. There are very few stores nowadays that don’t have their own re-usable bag. Heck even car dealership hand them out just for visiting them.

Like any industry who wants their product to be automatically bought and to be recognizing, you flood the market. Then when the market is flooded you try to convince people to leave the old and stay permanently with the new. This is exactly what is happening with this re-usable bag market. Now that we are flooded with them, the next step is to make you stop using the older method of single use bags.

Last year, in a few areas in Quebec, some retailers have stopped completely to give plastic bags for their products’ invoking it was the right thing for the environment. Some decided that they would reimburse you a nickel per re-usable bag you used for your items.

Fast forward to now: On Earth Day: Loblaws/Maxi/Provigo are now charging the client (you) a nickel per single use plastic bag. In June, Ikea, who already charges a nickel per bag, will stop giving out single use bags completely. Archambault, a music/movie/book store in Quebec will start to charge a dime per bag on August 1st.

If the motives for this were purely honest towards the environment, in most cases, I would not really have any problems with this. However people thinking that it’s for motives such as ”the greater good” they are fooling themselves.

This practice is nothing more than a cut in costs and making the customer pay for an item that is supposed to be part of your customer service. Loblaws state that all profits would go to the WWF-World Wildlife Foundation. They basically tell you what they are doing. Not paying for their own bags AND getting a tax deduction for donating to a non profitable foundation. This is true for every single business that is going into this new ”trend”.

What I find appalling is that companies that don’t even offer single use bags anymore will tell you, at the cash, that you can buy their branded re-usable bags for 1.00$.

Here is the catch 22: If your re-usable bag rip (which two of ours did within 6 months) what do you do with them? A lot of them ARE NOT RECYCABLE. That is the big question and problem. As usual we are trying to eliminate one problem by creating another, all to the profit of big enterprises. This has become a multi-billion business and uses a lot more in resource than it ever did for single use plastic bags.

I’m not ditching re-usable bags at all. We use them frequently, but I will not start holding on to them under my arm while I do my Xmas shopping. I also think that we can all agree that single use plastic bags are not really used only once. Some use them as garbage bags, others simply to store little things in them and put those on coat hangers in the closet. We have all used them to put our wet towels and bathing suits in. I agree that many do end up at dump sites but that’s where recycling programs failed.

The hard truth is that this whole banning or charging client for bags thing was not looked at closer by the authorities. Using only the garbage bag use supposition for single use bags, people will now have to actually buy garbage bags which are bigger than what they really need. Hence again, more ressources are used to make them, since they are more demand and more plastic is off to the dump. Let’s face it; you need to balance the lesser of both evils here.

The real solution is the bio-degradable bag, mandatory for all stores. I’ve seen those in action and they work. I had an HMV bag (which are biodegradable) for a year stored under my “DVDs to watch” pile. When I took it to use it, half of it had disintegrated itself. How about that!? Apparently the maximum time it takes is 5 years to decompose.

So why not go in that direction, at least for the time being right now? Because corporations decided otherwise when they saw how profitable this whole re-usable bag business can be.

There is nothing heart worthy of the intentions of business to go green: it’s all about business. If one offers products that are less pollutant to the environment, I’m all for it. Where I draw the line is when you hold people hostage when you do. Believe me that this is exactly what the population is being held for.

Why is that every time I go to a store to buy product A, B or C, and that I honestly forget to bring a re-usable bag , I get a gloomy and evil look from some of the staff? Because I dared to ask for a bag because I was walking for a while. Hey, screw you! You don’t know me; you don’t know how much I do my part in recycling. I doubt they even do it themselves.

Again, don’t get me wrong. I love using re-usable bags. I try to bring them as much as I can with me. However, for those times that I do forget or I am elsewhere out of my city, I don’t want to have to worry about a business not offering a bag or charging me for it. In any case, I refuse to pay and leave all my stuff at the cash register unless it is urgent.

For now, I urge everyone to not buy at business’ that don’t offer this basic service. This whole banning on bags or charging for them is a money making scheme at its finest.

For the people who don’t think it’s a big deal. Go to Ikea and buy a whole bunch of things. Once you realized you forgot to bring your re-usable bags, which you usually don’t do, send me an email and let me know how it felt to have to spend money on yet another re-usable bag that you paid for piling up with your others that you have been gathering.

And that, my friends, is the truth!

The Quest for a New Car – Part II

So here we are 6 weeks later…

Between the time I wrote the first part of my article and approximately 2 weeks ago, I really had doubts about what I should be getting.

After thinking things over and looking at my options I only had 2 cars left. Either lease a Kia Rondo EX V6 2009 or buy a Dodge Caliber SXT 2009.

With Chrysler’s situation I was not convince that, although I liked the Dodge Caliber as I had one for 3 years, it would be a wise choice for me. I went to my original dealership and he offered me a fair deal with a decent cash back. Yet doubt continued to plague my mind and with that much doubt I decided to let go of Dodge (Chrysler) until the storm has passed. Don’t forget that we still have another car to get next fall.

I’m glad I did since if Chrysler ceases to exist, I would not have gotten my warranties covered. Although the American and Canadian governments said they would cover it, it is not retroactive and I would of been at a loss. With the imminent “Chapter 11″ in the US from Chrysler and the first public statements from Fiat’s CEO Sergio Marchionne who does not even dismiss a possible Chapter 7 – liquidation of Chrysler in the near future, it was a wise choice to stay away for the time being.

With that said, it only left me with one choice: The Kia Rondo. The deal was decent, yet I wasn’t enthusiastic. When I first saw the Caliber at the “Montreal Auto Show” in 2006, I said “WOW” and when I tried it, the fun and “wow factor” was there. Not so for the Rondo. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a solid vehicle and highly praised but as far the “wow factor” goes…it  wasn’t there. With this I needed another option. I needed to find a car that I could say “WOW” again and enjoy driving it.

After a few days of thinking it through and looking through auto websites and magazines, something caught my eye: the Hyundai Elentra GLS 2009. Highly rated and reliable I thought this might be it, but the “wow factor” wasn’t exactly there either. But I kept reading the “Consumer Report” magazine and suddenly at the end, there is mention of: The Touring – a wagon version of the Elentra based on the i30 in Europe. Could this be it? Could this be the vehicle? I rushed to Hyundai’s site and indeed the Touring page was there. It was a new model released only a couple months ago. After a quick glance and price check with options, it looked good. The only thing I needed to do is go to a dealership lot and check it out.

The next day, there I was, in front of me a beautiful Elentra Touring and the “wow factor” hit me. It didn’t look like a wagon at all but at quick glance more like a Mazda3 Sport…just longer. All I needed to do now was to try it.

Hyundai Elentra Touring GL 2009

Well, two test drives later, I was convinced, this was my other option and a great one too. With a 5 years “bumper to bumper” warranty and with great options for the price, it was hard to say no. So I finally signed and voila, I am the proud owner of a Hyundai Elentra Touring GL 2009.

Soon I will give a quick everyday use review of this car but I have to say that after owning it for 2 weeks, I have been impressed.
So this was my quest for a new car. Overall, it was pleasant but at the same time, it was tiring to a point that I was just sick of seeing anything car related. I am glad I did my research and I am happy that I also took my time and didn’t rush in any decision. It’s funny but the pressure just wasn’t there and that was a good thing.

Very nice and elegant front of the Touring

I can easily get 6.8L/100km on everyday use with the Touring, something the Hummer in the background can't even dream off...

My final thoughts and advice for the purchase or lease of a car is to start looking at your options months ahead of time when you are thinking of acquiring a new vehicle (or a used one at that). It puts a lot less pressure on you as you can already eliminate a whole bunch of potential candidates; it prepares you towards the dealer not to be told any sort of BS ; it gives you an upper hand to dealing and finally your won’t make a rush decision.

Editor’s note: The Chrysler dealership not far from our home that tried to scam us was called “Rond Point Dodge” on the south shore of Montreal. After the dealings with my original dealer I can confirm that it was “Rond Point Dodge” the problem and not the whole Chrysler dealerships.

Back of the touring, the hatch is very big. Look here for a review in the upcoming months after a longer usage of the car.

DVD Review: The Big Hit – Superbit Edition

Studio: Columbia Tristar
Year: 1998
Rating: R
Running Time: 98 mins

Here is a title that really takes advantage of the Superbit line; The Big Hit gets a remaster in both image and sound.

The criminal anarchy is hilarious when a foursome of full-time hit men looking to score extra cash kidnap the boss’s goddaughter. And when beleaguered wise guy Mel is set up to take the fall, underworld antics and domestic absurdities collide for a working weekend no one will soon forget.

This is a great action flick with some great martial sequences. No doubt as Wesley Snipes was one of the producers of this flick and John Woo executive producer. Mark Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips, who was almost invisible for the longest of times before this flick, are perfect for the roles.

Image Quality

The movie is presented to you in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. Though the image quality is superior than the regular edition, it isn’t perfect. There are still some area, more at the beginning of the movie, that are a little bit grainy. It’s very obvious as well and surprising. Black levels are a tad bit off too. Just a little lighter than they should be.

Now will this put your enjoyment of the movie in jeopardy? No it will not, these problems are mostly at the beginning of the film, but it is still surprising that something like this was overlooked especially when “Superbit” is suppose to be all about image and sound quality. For your information, if you don’t know, three quarters of the RSDL disc is reserved for image quality.

Sound Quality:

Oh man; if you want an experience in what sound is: this is a must. The sound of this DVD is just awesome (can you say DEMO disc…oh yeah!). The term “high bit rate” for “Superbit” titles is well deserved here.

You will hear every single bullet shell hit the floor, every little piece of shattering glass, every explosions, and on and on. The levels are very balanced making this a perfect sounding DVD. Careful, this DVD is extremely LOUD. You won’t need to put your sound dial up to much on this one.

Special Features:

This is a disc in a separate kind of category than other DVDs. There are no features included in order to have the most space possible for image and sound quality on the DVD. In that effect, the marks here are not applicable.
However, if you absolutely want a disc with features, you can always pick up the regular edition of this DVD which is still available.

The Final Word

If you enjoyed The Big Hit or you need a good demo disc, this is definitely for you. If you have never seen this flick, seeing it from this “Superbit” edition will make you yet another fan of the film. 

 

Image:
Sound:
Features:	Not Applicable
Movie:
Final Mark:

Review originally written by: The Dave (March 11th 2002)